Bowhunting.net
Treestand Reality Check
By John Kasun
Oct 25, 2006, 06:33
Each year hunters are killed, crippled or injured in treestand related accidents. Records indicate approximately 7 percent of all hunters who use treestands experience a fall. As many accidents are not reported as treestand related or result in minor injuries that are not reported it is safe to assume that the estimated 7 percent figure is closer to 15 percent.
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| Most treestand accidents happen while climbing and while getting in and out of your stand. This is when the FallGuy will offer you valuable protection. |
How many hunters do you know that have had an accident? Treestand accidents are quite common and in many cases only dumb luck prevents serious injury. It is almost impossible to find anyone who has hunted from a treestand for any period of time that has not had a stand shift or slip down the tree, had a tree step kick out or some other form of mishap occur including a possible non-injury related fall. Personally I have had two friends die from treestand related accidents.
In spite of my personal caution and experience I have had numerous close calls. Hunting from a treestand is dangerous and requires the utmost care. The dependability and quality of commercial treestands has improved dramatically over the years and while the stands themselves might be structurally safe the human element is ever present. Although some accidents do happen when people fall while in a stand or as a result of a stand failure the majority of accidents occur as the hunter is getting into or getting out of their stand or as they ascend or descend the tree.
Safety belts have always been recommended when using a tree stand but the original one piece safety belts can actually cause serious injury or death in the event of a fall. The hunter can be hung upside down if the belt is not adjusted properly or be suffocated if the belt rides up and tightens under the chest. The second generations of safety belts were actually upper body harnesses which do a better job of supporting the hunter in the event of a fall but they also had some serious drawbacks including constriction of the chest.
Today all TMA certified treestands come with a full body harness that is independently tested. The co-packaged full body harnesses can save your life and will prevent most injuries…if you wear one. The complaint that is most often heard is that they are complicated to put on…some times requiring untangling and reorientation.
The latest in the generation of tree stand safety devices can be found in the FallGuy Superior 20 Vest System. The FallGuy combines the ease and safety of a full body harness built into a vest, with the flexibility of a retractable tether belt such as those found in our automobile seat belts. One problem with many safety harnesses was the fact that although the hunter was protected when the harness was secured after the hunter is in the stand, it left the hunter at risk when ascending or descending the tree and while getting into and out of the stand. Another common problem was that the short connection that secured the hunter to the tree limited movement and could make getting the shot difficult and at times impossible.
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| Being attached from the moment you leave the ground until you return to the ground is the single most important step you can take to reduce your risk of injury. |
The FallGuy Superior 20 Safety Vest System and their 20 foot retractor design solved all of these problems. The FallGuy even designed their system so the harness snaps out, allowing serious hunters to wash the vest for scent control. The FallGuy consists of a full body harness built into a vest that is designed to evenly support the body in the event of a fall and features a built in shock absorber tether strap.
The heart of the FallGuy system is their use of a seat belt retractor that allows the hunter complete freedom while remaining securely connected to the tree. The strap quietly extends or retracts into the retractor housing as the hunter moves, eliminating excessive strap that can get in way. Yet the strap instantly locks in place in the event of a fall, just as the seat belt in your car. The automatic retraction feature not only keeps the strap out of the hunter's way as he moves it also always means that in the event of a fall the strap immediately locks up minimizing the excessive drop that can occur with conventional systems.
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| The nylon string attached to the carabineer on the FallGuy will allow you to pull down the retractable tether and connect-up while still on the ground. |
FallGuy's latest design is the FallGuy Retractor 20 which allows the hunter to be attached to the tree during the entire assent, descent and at all times while in the stand. It is the safest and easiest to use system on the market today and it cost less then some bow quivers, a cheap price to protest you life. Plus it is TMA certified for your peace of mind. For more information on the FallGuy Vests and 20-foot retractors check out
Fall Guy.
For more solid how-to and science based instructions on whitetailing go to Whitetail University .
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